Mirror
by Winter M
Summary: Another young girl wishes away a child, only this time she'll learn a lot more about herself then she ever dreamed possible. please R&R! note: the focus isnt S/J though they are an integral part of the story. Read and it will make sense.
1. The Setting of our Story

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: this has been completely rewritten! I read through what I posted and is sucked so badly I couldn't bare to see it on ff.net any longer! So now I give you my revised version of Mirror, Chapter 1…

Chapter One: the Setting

It is said in legends of old; that the Goblin King once swore that he would _never_ love! That he would never become a slave to a woman. It is also said that early in his reign many women tried to thaw the icy wall he had erected around his heart, but none ever succeeded; until finally, they all stopped trying and the King was left to his own devices deep in the center of the Labyrinth. Centuries passed and the King grew colder and more distance with each passing year. But then one day a foolish young mortal girl, not quite yet a woman, wished her baby away to the Goblin King. Because it was his duty as King of the Goblins and ruler of the Labyrinth, the bitter King obliged the girl's wish; but when he found himself faced with her unrelenting courage to correct the mistake she had made by wishing away her brother, the King's heart began to melt. He let the girl traverse the Labyrinth, not really expecting her to win. But it would seem that Fate had other ideas. Not only did she solve the puzzles of Labyrinth, but also the intricate and icy web, a Labyrinth unto itself, surrounding the Goblin King's heart. Therefore when the Goblin King found himself looking into the eyes of defeat, large, innocent liquid brown pools of chocolate, he did the only thing he could think of; he offered the girl her dreams, and his love. But the girl was determined to 'Take back the child you have stolen', so she turned her back upon the King and said the words that would break the spell 'You have no power over me!' Defeated, the Goblin King once again withdrew into the solace of his castle and was undisturbed for many years, until one day the young mortal girl who had thawed his heart, now a woman, once again called upon the power of the Goblins. Only this time she did so, not to wish away her brother, but herself…

                                                            - excerpt from _A Child's History of the Labyrinth_

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A/N: better? Please tell me what you think! -WINTER

"Well, looks like that's all you're going to get today. Please leave a contribution in the little box" –the Bird


	2. Once More into the Void

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Hear me? NOTHING! Well, unless they/it weren't in the movie.

A/N: ahhh, the long awaited chapter two. Well, actually I don't know if it was all that waited for but anyways, here it is…

A/N2: sorry about the first posting of this chapter. I realize that it was really wacked so I retyped it. Hope this is better!

Chapter Two: Once More Into the Void 

A horrible wail went up from the tiny blue bundle in the distraught young woman's arms. Whispering soothing sounds into the child's ear Alex Williams drew a hand across her brow; droplets of sweat came off of her hot forehead and smeared her lightly tanned skin. With a sigh she shifted the bawling baby to her other arm and began to rock him, desperately trying to get him to settle down for the night. Unfortunately the weather was _not in the mood to help her, heating the temperature up to a blistering 84' F. _

"Oh, please! Can't you just go to sleep?" Alex asked the baby, her voice strained. The only response was for the child to wail louder then before, if that was possible! At her wits end, Alex set the bundle back into the crib and began to sing the child a soft little lullaby as she quietly picked up a worn red leather bound book that was resting on a nearby nightstand.

"Its only forever,

It's not long at all,

Lost and lonely

That's Underground, Underground."

Alex paused in her song as she flipped to a dog-eared page of the little red book in her hands. She read a few lines as she hummed a new refrain of the song which seemed to constantly plague her mind…

"Daddy, daddy, get me out of here,

(heard about a place today)

I, I'm Underground

(nothing never hurts again)

Heard about a place today

(daddy, get me out of here)

Where nothing never hurts again

(wanna go Underground)"

But despite her best attempts, the young child continued to wail at the top of his lungs. Alex glanced up from her reading, "That's it! Davey, either you shut up now or I, I…" she glanced down at the book in her lap, looking for inspiration. And suddenly, it came to her, "Or I'll call for the goblins to come and take you away! Hear me? SHUT UP!" regardless of her dire warnings the little blue bundle in the crib did anything but cease his noise.

With a strangled cry Alex stood and began to recite the lines from a book she knew by heart, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away… right now!" Alex turned away from the crib and once again buried her nose in the little red book, trying to ignore the insistent wails of the baby.

Suddenly the baby's screaming stopped with an unnatural suddenness. Alex slowly placed her book in her lap and turned around towards the crib. At that instant the lights in the nursery went off and double doors leading out onto the balcony were blown open by a terrible wind.

Alex tried to shield herself from the wind as it viciously whipped her long brown hair around her face. And then as suddenly as it has started the wind calmed until it was nothing but a gentle breeze.

Alex turned to face the balcony doors, only to have her breath catch in her throat at the sight of a tall dark mysterious shape standing there at the entrance of the nursery. Gulping she asked, "Who are you?"

The man sighed softly and stepped forward into a pale shaft of moonlight, "You may call me Tarren."

Alex gave him a puzzled look.

"Don't you mortals ever learn? Oh, no matter. You _do know what you are expected to do now, correct?" Tarren held up a leather encased hand. In the twinkling of the eye, a perfect crystal sphere materialized on his fingertips, "Your dreams or thirteen hours of hardship and struggle for a child you obviously care little for."_

A sick feeling permeated Alex's stomach, "You're him aren't you?"

"Him?"

"The Goblin King."

A dark shadow briefly passed across Tarren's face before it was gone, "You would say that. Now please mortal, do not waste my time. What is it going to be?"

Alex gazed stupidly at the proffered crystal. Suddenly realization dawned on her face, "You took Davey. Omygosh, I _wished Davey away to the," she eyed Tarren. "To the goblins!" Alex looked back at the crib, now starkly empty. She shuddered slightly before turning back to Tarren, "I want Davey back."_

Tarren gazed at her coldly, "Very well." The crystal in his right hand slid gracefully onto his left. Regally he offered Alex his now empty right hand. She hesitated momentarily before grasping the cold leather. Tarren's face remained emotionless as he tossed to crystal orb into the air and, in a shower of glitter, spirited Alex and himself away to the Underground.

As the glitter settled onto the pale cream carpet, the lights snapped back on; leaving the common enough room perfectly untouched.

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A/N: if anyone is wondering this is sort of a J/S story, but that wont come up for awhile. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out soon. -WINTER


	3. At the Gates Again

Disclaimer: everything from the movie belongs to Jim, not me. I'm just borrowing it.

A/N: *meekly lowers head* yeah, ok, I want to apologize for practically forgetting about this fic. I got this great inspiration for a BtVS story and it just kinda ran wild. But I'm back with this. I replaced chapter two, so all the funky formatting mistakes are fixed. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Chapter Three: At the Gates Again

Alex blinked as the sparkling glitter settled around her. Her eyes widened as they took in the barren landscape stretching out before her. Bright green orbs swept the small hilltop she was standing on, before concentrating on the sweeping expanse on Labyrinth sprawled upon the valley below. As Alex's gaze traveled closer to the horizon she was not wholly surprised to find a towering castle, its sandstone turrets extending to the bleak golden sky.

"Do you still want to look for him?" 

Taren's voice startled Alex out of her perusal of the great maze before her. She turned quickly and found herself face to face with the black clad figure. She swallowed back the lump that had formed in her throat and nodded determinedly, "Of course!" she glanced back at the Labyrinth, "Besides, it doesn't look too far."

Taren spoke directly into her ear causing Alex to shiver, "It's further then you think. Time is short."

Alex turned back around to face him, "That's why I'll be taking my leave of you now, Goblin King." She gave him a mocking little bow before skipping off down the hill.

The Goblin King felt his lower jaw go slack at the young woman's impudence, "Who in the Underground does she think she is?" he continued to watch her as she made her way across the valley and towards the outer walls of the maze, a flaunt her stride that would cause anyone unfamiliar with the place think _she _ruled the Labyrinth. Taren shook his head, he was going to have to watch this one very closely, that was for sure. 

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Pale blonde hair fluttered wildly in a dry breeze as Alex's slender form jogged down the slightly sloping hill. Orange brown dirt cracked and billowed around her in smothering clouds of dust. Soon a small murky pool came into view, its depths obscured by a thick veil of green sludge floating on the surface. Alex slowly walked past the pool, cautiously peering into the water. Something just below the surface caused the muck to ripple. Alex wrinkled her nose and walked away. 

Before her a grim wall stretched across the harsh landscape each side disappearing on apposing skylines. Scraggly grey green grass grew up around the tall walls. As Alex watched, small glistening shapes could be seen darting in out among the grass. Alex took a curious step forward. The small glittering shapes cam closer, beginning to dart around the girls pale blonde head.

A small smile light up Alex's face when one of the small shapes stopped and began to hover in front of her face. Her laughing eyes recognized the small figure as that of a pixie's, "Oh how sweet." Slowly she reached a finger towards the small glowing sprite.

"Wouldn't do tha' if I were you."

Alex spun around at the sound of the lilting voice.  Her eyes widened at the sight of the slender red head standing before her. The woman smiled, revealing sharp pointed teeth to match her droopy pointed ears.

"You're a… a, an."

The woman's smile widened, "I believe the word you're searching fo' is elf. M'name's Lhynal, how do ye do?" the red headed elf swept an imaginary hat off her head and bowed deeply"

Alex couldn't help the small smile that crept over her face at the comical picture. Quickly deciding to play along, she curtsied, stretching out an imaginary skirt, "Quite well thank you, but I'm afraid I must make my way across this Labyrinth." Alex eyed the elf, "You wouldn't by any chance know the way would you?"

Lhynal's tinkling laughter filled the air, "M'dear gal, 'course I don't know the way through the Labyrinth! The King be the only person who does."

Alex's shoulders slumped slightly, "Oh. Well then I'm sorry to bother you." She turned and began to walk closer to the wall.

A lithe arm shot out and grasped her by the shoulder with surprising, "Now, jus' because I don't know the _exact way through the Labyrinth doesn't mean I can' be of some 'elp to ya."_

Alex's bright green eyes met the steely ones of the elf's. she studied the red head's suddenly serious face for a moment before responding with a dazzling smile. She turned around and held out her hand, "Thanks for volunteering."  
TBC

A/N: once again I apologize for the late update but here it is! I imagine Alyson Hannigan ('Willow' on BtVS) as Lhynal, only with an Irish accent. As always PLEASE leave a review!

~Winter


	4. Another Cordial Invitation

Disclaimer: I don't own them. *sigh*

A/N: Hmm, long time no update. Bad me. I guess this story is just the one I turn to when I'm bored out of my mind or facing 7 foot tall brick walls in regards to my other WIP's. Anyway, here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Four: Another Cordial Invitation

Laughing, Lhynal took the hand and gave it a firm shake before turning towards the Labyrinth. She studied the high walls for a moment before nodding and striding quickly forward. Dancing gray eyes glanced back, "Well gal, aren't ye coming?"

Alex followed the slender elf, "Yes yes, I'm coming. And the name's Alex."

The two stopped at the base of the towering walls. Lhynal ran delicate hands over the stone, brushing away heavy strands of hanging ivy, "Don' look much like an 'Alex' to me."

The blonde snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, "Technically it's _Alexandria_ but I can't stand that name so…" she shrugged. Leaning closer she watched the elf work for a few minutes before the question bubbled from her lips, "What are you doing?"

Without pausing, "I'm trying to find the bloody entrance to the maze." She dove further into the vegetation covering walls, "You'd thunk that 'is Majesty would take the time to keep this place up… I _know_ that gate is around here some…" her first two fingers encountered a large knothole. Triumphantly she pushed and the wall swung away to reveal a murky passageway. She gestured for Alex to walk through, "Guests first."

Cautiously the blonde stepped through. Straightening, she took a glance around and found herself standing in a straight corridor running off into the distance both to the left and to the right. Lhynal soon joined her, the passageway closing behind the red head.

"Oh, bugger," the elf muttered under her breath.

Alex turned to her companion, a frown wrinkling her brow, "What is it?"

"'ello."

Lhynal groaned. 

Alex turned towards the greeting, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of a tiny blue warm perched calmly upon a small ledge sticking out from the wall, a tuft of bright blue hair bobbing comically on the top of his head. "Did you just say 'hello?'"

Lhynal groaned again.

"No, I said 'ello, but that's close enough."

The elf tugged viciously on the hem of the human's tank top, in a low voice she spoke into the blonde's ear, "Come along pet, before 'e gets start…"

The blue hair waved back and forth, "Come inside, meet the missus."

Again, Lhynal tried to dissuade Alex, "Please, come along before he invite us to…"

"Stay for a cuppa tea."

The grip on the hem of Alex shirt tightened and Lhynal groaned again."

Alex shrugged off her guide irritably, glancing uncertainly at the tiny opening behind the worm, "I think I might be a little big for the parlor."

"'Course you're too big! But what's the use 'f magic if ye can't use, eh?" his voice tinkled with laughter.

"Oh," she blinked. "Well in that case…" Alex ignored the now much louder protests of the elf and walked over to the worm's side of the corridor. "Ummm," she glanced again the tiny entryway. "What should I do?"

"Close yer eyes and believe." The worm looked up at Lhynal, "Tea for you too missy? 'm sure the missus would be delighted to see you again."

Gray eyes glanced at Alex, found her standing there with her own eyes closed and tanned face set in determined lines, "Yes, I believe so." She resignedly closed her eyes and waited for the familiar tickling sensation caused by the Labyrinth's innocent magic…  

TBC

A/N: I'm thinking that the next chapter should be out soon… hopefully right? *lol* please read and review!


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